Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students (FASP) and Non-means Tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students (NLSPS)

Definition of eligibility:

Associate Degree programmes usually have a 2-year or 3-year curriculum. One of the entry requirements for a 2-year Associate Degree programme is the satisfactory completion of a pre-associate degree programme. For a 3-year Associate Degree programme, the first-year programme may be a standalone pre-associate degree programme or a foundation course which forms an integral part of an Associate Degree programme. An applicant who has only completed a pre-associate degree or a foundation course without obtaining an Associate Degree will be regarded as having failed to obtain a sub-degree qualification and will be required to repay the grant received.

For face-to-face teaching programmes, "full-time" study refers to a curriculum of not less than 450 contact hours per year or a minimum of 30 credit points per year (i.e. one credit point equaling 15 contact hours). For non-face-to-face teaching programmes, "full-time" study means a curriculum of not less than 1 350 study hours.

Locally-accredited programme refers to one included in the "Register of Locally-accredited Programmes" approved by the Secretary for Education. For the 2011/12 academic year, only programmes which have been included in the Register on or before 31.12.2011 will be covered by FASP. The Register will be available for reference at the Agency's Homepage (http://www.sfaa.gov.hk/eng/schemes/fasp5.htm) by end June 2011.

For the purpose of FASP, 4-year Diploma programmes offered by Hong Kong Shue Yan University are regarded as sub-degree programmes.